Create the Good

Volunteers: Thank You for All You Do

AARP Driver Safety’s volunteer regional coordinators, who help coordinate the program across the country.

April 15-21 marks National Volunteer Week-a week to recognize the extraordinary achievements of volunteers in their efforts to improve the lives of others through service.

At AARP Driver Safety, we rely on a network of nearly 6,500 volunteers to instruct, promote, and coordinate our classroom course, CarFit, and “We Need to Talk” in local communities nationwide. In 2011, our volunteers helped over 550,000 drivers stay safe, educated, and confident.

During National Volunteer Week last year, we recognized several exceptional Driver Safety volunteers, including Frank, the “outstanding older Texan” who, at age 97, still devotes over 20 hours to volunteering each week. We also recognized Betty-Coe, the “charismatic coordinator,” and Tom, the “tech-savvy superstar.”

But it’s not just Driver Safety volunteers who go above and beyond every day. Thousands of AARP members dedicate an extraordinary amount of time to giving back. We recently invited people to tell us what they are “driven by” as part of a national essay contest, and we received dozens of entries from people who are driven by helping others.

Here’s one entry, from Lizabeth in Georgia:

“As President of my local ‘Meals on Wheels’ program, I drive to make sure clients have hot meals to eat. I am driven by my passion to prevent senior hunger and keep older persons from being forgotten. I am driven to enlist my community to prevent the fear and despair that food insufficiency creates. In addition to transporting food, my car allows me to reach my audiences and share my message. Our volunteers drove over 34,000 miles last year to be the helping hands and caring hearts for seniors who might otherwise have nothing to eat.”

This week, we will be spotlighting several individuals who, like Lizabeth, explained how they were driven by volunteering and giving back on Facebook.

Thank you to all volunteers who go “above and beyond” to better their communities.

If you’re interested in becoming a Driver Safety volunteer, please fill out the interest form and a volunteer in your area will be in touch with you shortly. If you’re interested in exploring other volunteer opportunities in your community, please visit Create the Good.